Stanton Starts Work As City Manager

Susan Stanton started work as Lake Worth city manager April 27 more than two years after being fired from her job in Largo for announcing plans for a gender change.

The former Steve Stanton spent 17 years as city manager in Largo on the state's west coast before being fired in a case that drew national attention and led Lake Worth and Palm Beach County to adopt code changes prohibiting discrimination based on gender identity.

Susan Stanton, formerly Steve Stanton, drew national media attention after being fired for announcing plans for a sex change.

Stanton, 50, was hired April 7 to replace former City Manager Bob Baldwin, who left Lake Worth in March to become city manager in Dania Beach.

Stanton was scheduled to attend her first city meeting at Compass, the nonprofit gay and lesbian advocacy group that has a long-term lease with the city for its new headquarters on North Dixie Highway.

"A city meeting at a gay and lesbian community center....and it's her first day," said Compass CEO Tony Plakas.

Plakas said he was glad that the city commission did not let questions of gender identity stand in the way of their decision to hire Stanton and that Stanton was willing to choose Lake Worth.

"I'm happy to see that Susan thought she could work and use her talents in the city of Lake Worth," Plakas said.

Home of the annual PrideFest celebration of gay rights, Lake Worth is the type of city in which a person who has changed gender can be accepted, Mayor Jeff Clemens said.

"Lake Worth is a very open and accepting community," Clemens said. "Over time, that's going to be the key to our success."

Clemens said he met with Stanton April 26 and was impressed with her ideas.

"I think she's going to be a lot tougher than a lot of people think," Clemens said. "I have every confidence she's going to make really important and long-needed changes."

Among Stanton's first challenges: Balancing the budget in a year when the city is facing another decline in property tax revenue.

"She was the best candidate for the job," City Commissioner Suzanne Mulvehill said. "I'm just so happy to have a city manager who has experience dealing with issues similar to what we're dealing with."